India v Australia Test series 2013

Head to head Australia v India

In Australia
40 played
26 Australia
5 India
9 Drawn

In India
42 played
12 Australia
15 India
14 drawn
1 Tie

Total
82 played
38 Australia
20 India
23 drawn
1 Tie

Lunch Day 1
Australia won the toss, no surprise Clarke decided to bat first

AU 2/126 [34]
Cowan 29
Hughes 6
Warner 58*
Watson 28*
Ashwin 2/30

The Aussies played good positive cricket
I anticipated pre series Watson would struggle at 4 and facing spin
However his 28 off 56 balls was faultless , and looks in no trouble at all

5/173

Clarke 22

Henriques 12

What sort of Indian name is "Ashwin"?
Surely they're not letting white blokes play for India?

Here's one for you Scrappy.
Has there ever been a white fellow play for India in Test Cricket?

PS: Don't expect me to give the answer, becasue I have no idea!

Chambo Off To Work We Go wrote:What sort of Indian name is "Ashwin"?
Surely they're not letting white blokes play for India?

Here's one for you Scrappy.
Has there ever been a white fellow play for India in Test Cricket?

PS: Don't expect me to give the answer, becasue I have no idea!

c'mon Chambo,
Sri Lanka have a Angelo Mathews & Australia have a Usman Khawaja so it shouldn't be a huge deal

Yeah I was going to refer to those, but then it got me thinking about India.
I just can't recall them having a caucasian, anglo or whatever you want to call a white person, in their team.

There have been many mixed racial influences in cricket. South Africa recently of course. Quite a few in England. A few in NZ and not that many in Australia maybe.

However, Pakistan and India seem to be the closed shop.

Not a big deal, was just wondering if Scrappy had the answer?

if Scrappy hasn't the answer then no one has

Chambo
I cant recall any

Stumps day 1

AU 7/316
Warner 59
Henriques 68
Clarke 103 *
Siddle 1 *
Ashwin 6/88[30]

Clarke came in at 3/126
Saved the team again

He has now made just over 2400 runs as captain
He averages 70 + as skipper
Thats prob the best average for an Australian captain as a batsman since our Don Bradman ?

Just for the record

Bradman
6996 runs
99.94 average
29 tons

Clarke when he got to the Dons amount of runs
6996th run
52.6 average
22 tons


That the Don could be almost twice as well performed as guys like Clarke is astonishing

As a measure of what the Don was like , we can look at Clarkes year in 2012

Clarke 2012
1595 runs
106.33 average

That 2012 season is Bradmanesque

Lyon bowls Tendulkar,

Huge wicket for Nathan's career and confidence.

Chambo Off To Work We Go wrote:What sort of Indian name is "Ashwin"?
Surely they're not letting white blokes play for India?

Here's one for you Scrappy.
Has there ever been a white fellow play for India in Test Cricket?

PS: Don't expect me to give the answer, becasue I have no idea!

Roger Binny
The current Indian Test selector was the first English/Indian player to play for India
Sort of half qualifies ?
Binny was not a big 'name' bowler , but didnt bowl rubbish !

His son Stuart played for the Indian Board eleven against the Australians in a lead up match to this first test
He dismissed Glen Maxwell for a duck
He made 5 before being bowled by Pattinson

Stuart sort of quarter qualifies !

Dhoni's innings must go down as one of the great Test innings.

What a fantastic knock.

At lunch, Australia, trailing by 192 after the first innings, are 1/34.

Watson dismissed off the last ball before lunch, to one that took off.

Big problems.

Aussie's are in more trouble than the early settlers in this one.

Chambo Off To Work We Go wrote:What sort of Indian name is "Ashwin"?
Surely they're not letting white blokes play for India?

Here's one for you Scrappy.
Has there ever been a white fellow play for India in Test Cricket?

PS: Don't expect me to give the answer, becasue I have no idea!

When Roger Binny played for India at the 1983 World Cup the media reported that he was the first white man to play for India, but he didn't look particularly white to me I note that he is now referred to as the first Anglo/Indian to represent India.

As another aside Ashwin is also the surname of the great Eagles raffle seller whom we have all bought a raffle ticket from and heard his catchcry "In the Eagles raffle"

We'll the first test looks like it has headed down the usual well worn tale of Indian tours. Done in by spin on a dodgy pitch, who could predict that??

Hopefully the last pair can dig in and get something resembling a defendable today. Anything past a 100 run lead would be enough to have a silly chance on that clay court .... I mean, wicket.

It's a dodgy pitch, but I don't think that's much excuse.

We won the toss and batted, a big advantage on a turning wicket.

India's No 10 batted for ages on day 3 and the pitch didn't stop Dhoni smashing us everywhere. Ashwin took 11 wickets and has reached 50 Test wickets faster than Philander.

Perhaps we should look at selecting sevarl fast bowlers on a dustbowl and only one spinner?

No excuses this time, I'd say.

I read an article today that mentioned the bowling selection policy, and quite rightly pointed out that if Aust had selected another spinner then it would've been their best performer in Pattinson that would've ended up carrying the drinks.

I'd say the problems run a bit deeper than that. The top order is brittle and our fast bowlers don't know how to bowl smart when the going gets tough in the longest form of the game.

Yep, that's pretty accurate.

The top order at the moment consists of :

Cowan - An honest plodder who seems to know his game but is limited to scoring behind point, rarely scores in the "V" between mid-off and on and looks unlikely to ever bat for a day and a half and make 250.
Warner - Who is likely to one day score 250 in a day but is yet to develop the consistency required in Test cricket as an opener. We keep him there though.
Hughes - Who despite a stellar Shield/Domestic season is once again looking shaky against world class bowlers. 100's against the Sri Lankan and West Indies attack have masked some still present technical flaws.
Watson - I believe it is time we cut Watson free from International cricket. He cant play as an all rounder anymore, I dont see him bowling again. Unless it is in the IPL, but dont get me started on that!!!! His batting is no longer keeping him in the side and if it is only as a vice-Captain he is being picked, well, goodbye. If we are going to go through some tough time in India and through the Ashes it might as well be with someone who has the potential to be there in 4-5 years time.
Clarke - In unbelievable touch, no need to comment on him.
Wade - Like Hughes, his touch against Sri Lanka in Australia and his short form form should not seduce us into seeing him as a ready made #6 in Test matches. He bats at 7 at best with another batsman coming in.

So with Warner unpredictable, Cowan battling for every run, Hughes living on the edge, Watson a walking statistic for a bowler and Wade in our top 6, I'd like to be sending down some crafty in-swingers to that top order...

Mind you, its the selectors who need a good shake up first and foremost.

Who does Inverarity answer to?

Righto boys - if you were one of the selectors what changes, if any, would you recommend for the 2nd test?

My advice
Come in spinner

After watching AU V IN test series over a deal of time my assessment is

In Australia
India should play 3 quicks and only 1 spinner

In India
Australia should play 2 quicks and 2 spinners

Which quick gets the chop then Scrappy? Also, do we really have a 2nd spinner of quality that could achieve more than a quick could? Our one spinner copped a flogging in the 1st test, I fear giving them a second to pillage runs from would just be playing right into their hands.

Call me crazy, but I would almost consider going in unchanged to the next test. Give Starc & Siddle a second chance to lift their game, not to mention the Aussie top order batsmen. The 1st test defeat wasn't all the fault of the bowlers.

i think i heard Starc was an out (rotation policy ?), boys, just remember it wasn't that long ago India won the first test against the Poms & lost that series

Gingernuts wrote:Which quick gets the chop then Scrappy? Also, do we really have a 2nd spinner of quality that could achieve more than a quick could? Our one spinner copped a flogging in the 1st test, I fear giving them a second to pillage runs from would just be playing right into their hands.

Call me crazy, but I would almost consider going in unchanged to the next test. Give Starc & Siddle a second chance to lift their game, not to mention the Aussie top order batsmen. The 1st test defeat wasn't all the fault of the bowlers.

Best way for me to answer this would be
IF Australia currently had 2 good spinners , the equivalent ability of the fast bowlers at present, Australia should select 2 spinners in India

To answer your question
Agree Australia does not have a quality performed 2nd spinner at present [on tour]

I have a very slight preference in playing 2 spinners in the second Test, but can not convince myself

What are the chances of the next pitch being a greentop?